April 13, 2024
No.134
A six-member delegation from the New Zealand Parliament led by Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Select Committee Joseph Mooney MP and Cochair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan Ingrid Leary MP is visiting Taiwan from April 13 to 18. During the visit, the delegation will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and attend banquets hosted by President of the Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jaushieh Joseph Wu. The delegation will also visit such government agencies as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to exchange views on issues of common interest.
The delegation also includes Chairperson of the Heath Select Committee Sam Uffindell MP, Chairperson of the Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee Andy Foster MP, ACT Party Whip Todd Stephenson MP, and Labour Party Spokesperson for Customs and Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa MP. The National Party, the ACT Party, and New Zealand First, which are part of New Zealand’s coalition government, as well as the opposition Labour Party, are all represented among the members of the delegation, demonstrating the New Zealand Parliament’s staunch cross-party support for Taiwan. MOFA expresses its sincere gratitude to the New Zealand Parliament for its unwavering friendship.
Taiwan and New Zealand are like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region. In recent years, working together under the framework of the Taiwan-New Zealand economic cooperation agreement (ANZTEC), the two nations have advanced exchanges in such areas as economics, trade, and investment; agriculture; education and culture; film and television; and indigenous affairs. This year marks ANZTEC’s 11th anniversary, and bilateral trade has increased steadily year by year.
Through its visit, the delegation will gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s thriving democracy and diverse civil society and explore potential areas of bilateral collaboration, so as to continue deepening the friendship and partnership between Taiwan and New Zealand. (E)